MEAP scores across Genesee County fail to meet state averages

GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Schools in Genesee County fell behind state averages on tests of student proficiency across multiple subjects and grades, according to test results released Monday, Feb. 11.

MLive file photo

In all 18 categories of the 2012 Michigan Educational Assessment Program test, the state average topped the county's.

Genesee County scores overall grew in 15 of the testing fields from grades 3-9 in subjects tested; science, math, reading, social studies and writing.

It's at least the second year in a row that the state topped Genesee County averages in all 18 fields.

For the county, eighth-grade reading had the sharpest increase, up 6.5 percent from 2011 scores to a 56 percent proficiency rate.

Though the declines are in nearly every subject, they aren't nearly as drastic as last year's declines. The state adjusted its standards for the test after the 2010 MEAP, meaning students had to answer more questions correctly to be considered proficient in a subject.

The change led to double-digit plummets in proficiency rates across the state.

The new state standards came after state educators last year were accused of misrepresenting academic progress because students on some MEAP exams were allowed to answer as few as 39 percent of questions correctly and still be deemed “proficient.”

The updated standards generally require students answer about 65 percent of questions correctly to meet the proficiency mark.

Overall, Genesee County scores this year mostly reflect the state average. Like Genesee County, the Michigan average decreased in only three subject areas.

For 2011, the state average outperformed Genesee County in all 18 tests. The biggest gap between county and state averages was in eighth-grade math, where the state topped the county by 7.8 percent. The county came closest to the state average in sixth-grade social studies, falling only .2 percent shy.

In the Flint School District, scores dropped from last year in 10 categories. The district's largest drop was in sixth-grade math. Third-grade reading gained 7.5 percent.

District officials Friday declined to comment on MEAP results until they were released to the general public Monday.

At Goodrich, improvements in fourth- and sixth-grade students who received scores proficient or better stood out in the district this year.

In fourth-grade reading, 82 percent of the students were proficient compared to 61.1 percent in 2011, and in fourth-grade math, the proficiency level increased from 41.4 percent to 65.2.

Sixth-grade math jumped from 29.5 percent proficiency in 2011 to 56.6 percent in 2012 and sixth-grade social studies increased from 37 percent in 2011 to 50.9 percent in 2012.

Mt. Morris schools saw student proficiency rates for the MEAP increase in 11 out of the 18 categories, with one category being the same as the year before. That is an improvement from the 2011 results, which showed drastic drops in proficiency levels compared to 2010.

Noteworthy improvements in proficiency levels are seen in eighth-grade math, 29.6 percent proficiency in 2012 compared to 19 percent in 2011, and eighth-grade reading, 73.8 percent proficiency in 2012 compared to 59.7 percent in 2011.